Mail-transferring apparatus.



I v T. R. 000K. MAIL TRANSFERBING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1, 19-10.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910.

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6%HMM T. R. 0001:. MAIL TRANSFERRING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1910.

975,212. Patented Nov.18,1910.

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THOMAS R. COOK, OF MARION, INDIANA.

MAIL-TRANSFERRIING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1910.

Application filed August 1, 1910. Serial No. 574,848.

To all whom it may concern:

."ie it known that I, THOMAS R. Coon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Transferring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway mail service, and is designed to construct a device carried by a car which will cooperate with a similar device located at the various stations for delivering and receiving bags of mail by the same operation.

It contemplates the construction of an apparatus carried by the car which will, when not in use, rest approximately flush with the car thereby in no way interfere with the passage of said car.

A further object is to construct a mail delivering mechanism which will automatically swinginwardly after the same has delivered the mail.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a transverse section taken through the mail car illustrating the cooperation thereof with the stationary apparatus; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the stationary delivering and receiving apparatus; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the exterior of the car illustrating the receiving and delivering apparatus carried thereby; Fig. a is a horizontal section partly in operative position; Fig. 5 is a section taken along line 55 of Fig. 4.; Fig. 6 is a section taken along line 66 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is transverse section taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Reference being had to the drawings, A indicates generally a railway mail car of somewhat the usual construction the outer side 10 of said car being provided with an opening 11 in which operates the double doors 12 and 12. One side of the opening 11 adjacent to the upper door 12 is provided with a recess or depression 13 in which the crane carrying the mail bag delivering mechanism is located when in itsoperative position. An opening 14 is superposed above the upper door 12 and is provided be delivered from the receiver located ad-' jacent thereto into the interior of the car.

A pair of superposed bearings 16 are mounted on the interior of the car A adjacent to the side of the opening 11 contain ing the recess 13, said bearings having rotatably mounted therein the shaft 17. This shaft 17 rigidly carries at its upper terminal above the upper bearing 16 a grooved pulley 1,8 which normally tends to swing the shaft so that the mail delivering mechanism will )e swung ii'iwardly. A crane 19 is adjust ably carried by the shaft 17 so that the same registers with the depressioner recess 18. This crane is provided with a pair of'diverging arms 19 between the outer terminals of which is pivotally mounted the mail delivery mechanism.

Between'the outer terminals of the-arms 19 is pivoted a V-sha'ped trough or receptacle 20 having on one arm thereof a downwardly extending projection 21, said projection carrying a stop 22 at each terminal thereof which normally bears against the arms 19, and retains the receptacle or trough 20 in a vertical position. The outer side of the projection21 is convexe d and 0pcrates against a curved surface thereby causing said projection to be swung inwardly and the receptacle or trough tilted thereby emptying the contents thereof. After the projection 21 is removed from engagement with a curved surface by the passage of the train or car, the weight of the projection will cause the trough or receptacle 20 to swing upwardly and assume its normal position.

It will be understood that after the mail has been placed in the receptacle or trough 20 the crane is swung outwardly until the same rests within the recess 13 after which the door 12 is closed securely locking the crane within said recess. In order to provide a means whereby the crane may be swung inwardly upon opening the door 12, a bracket 23 is located adjacent to the upper bearing 16 of the shaft 17 and has r0- tatably mounted therein the grooved pulley 24. V 4 A cable 25 is rigidly connected tojthe pulley 18 and passes partially around the same, over the pulley 2 1 and is connected to a weight 26 operated vertically on the interior of the car. From this it will be understood when the door 12 is open the weight 26 will travel downwardly thereby causing the shaft 17 to rotate swinging the crane 19 into the car.

A shelf 27 is pivoted to the rod 28 directly beneath the opening 14; containing the door 15. This shelf is provided with the arms 29 and 30, the arm 30 being pivotally located adjacent to the bracket 23. Both of the arms 29 and 30 are bent upwardly and are adapted to rest against the side 10 of the car, thereby retaining the shelf 27 at an angle to said side. The arm 30 is provided with an eye at its inner terminal which is connected to the weight 26 by a cable 31. Thus it will be seen that when the crane 19 is swung inwardly the shelf 27 will be swung upwardly. The forward edge 32 of the shelf 27 is curved at the extremities thereof as is illustrated in Fig, 3.

The stationary apparatus for cooperating with the apparatus carried by the car for delivering and receiving mail comprises a post 33 having a shelf 34 secured thereon the outer edge of which is curved similarly to the shelf 27 of the car, said shelf 34: being so located that the curved edge thereof will cooperate with the projection 21 for tilting the trough 20. This shelf 34; is provided with a backing plate 35 which prevents the mail bags which are dropped upon the shelf from falling therefrom. At the upper extremity of the post 33 is a stationary bracket 36 which carries the parallel arms 37. These arms are bent upwardly at their outer terminals and are then bent upon themselves forming the vertical supporting members 38. A trough 39 ispivotally mounted at the lower terminals of the supporting members 38 and carries a pin 40 at each extremity thereof which oscillates between the arms 37 and the vertical supporting portion 38, thus, limiting the movement of the trough. The arm of the trough carrying the pin 40 is provided with a downwardly extending projection 41, the surface of which adjacent to the tracks is convexed and adapted to cooperate with the curved edge of the shelf 37 in order that the trough may be tilted and the contents thereof emptied upon said shelf. From this construction it will be readily seen that as the car passes the stationary apparatus the projection 21 of the trough 20 will contact the curved edge of the shelf 34, thereby causing the trough to empty the contents thereof onto the shelf. Simultaneously with this operation the curved edge of the shelf 37 carried by the car will engage the convexed portion of the projection 41 carried by the trough 39 thereby causing said'trough to tilt and empty the contents thereof upon the shelf 27; The door 12 is then opened, allowing the crane 19 to swing inwardly which movement causes the shelf 27 to swing against the side of the car fore? ing the mail bagthrough the opening 1 1 by opening the door 15.

Having thus fully described my invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A mail delivering mechanism, comprising in combination, a pivotally mounted receptacle, and a projection carried by one side of said receptacle and adapted to normally gravitate the same to an operative position to retain an article.

2. A mail delivering mechanism, comprising in combination, a pivotally mounted trough, and a convexed projection carried by one side of said trough adapted to normally swing said trough to an operative position.

3. A mail delivering mechanism, comprising in combination, a pivotally mounted trough, a convexed projection carried by one side of said trough adapted to normally swing said trough to an operative position, and means adapted to operate against the convexed surface of said projection whereby said trough may be tilted.

4. A mail receiving mechanism, comprising in combination, with a support of a shelf carried thereby having the outer edge thereof curved.

5. A mail delivering and receiving apparatus adapted to be carried by a car, comprising in combination, a crane pivotally mounted on a car and adapted to be projected therefrom, an independently tilting mail delivery mechanism carried thereby, and means carried by the side of said car whereby mail may be received simultaneously with the movement of the delivering mechanism.

6. A mail delivering and receiving apparatus adapted to be carried by a car, comprising in combination, a crane, mail delivering mechanism carried by said crane, means whereby said crane may automatically be swung into the car, and an independent mail receiving mechanism adapted to operate simultaneously with said crane.

7. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, a crane pivotally mounted in said car and adapted to swing through said opening, a gravity mail delivering receptacle pivotally carried by said crane, and means whereby said crane may be located on the exterior of said car.

8. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, a crane pivotally mounted in said ear and adapted to swing through said opening, a gravity mail delivering receptacle pivotally carried by said crane, means whereby said crane may be located on the exterior of said car, and means whereby said crane may automatically be swung to the interior of the Lear tably mounted adjacent to said opening, a

crane adjustably carried by said shaft, and means'whereby said crane may automatically be swung inwardly.

10. The combination with a car having an opening in one side thereof, a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent to said opening, a crane adjustably carried by said shaft, means whereby said crane may automatically be swung inwardly, and an automatically emptying mail bag receptacle pivotally carried the outer terminal of said crane.

11. The combination with a car having an opening in one side thereof, a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent to said opening, a crane adjustably carried by said shaft, means whereby said crane may automatically be swung inwardly, an automatically emptying mail bag receptacle pivotally carried at the outer terminal of said crane, and means whereby said mail bag receptacle may normally be retained in a level position.

12. The combination with a car having an opening in one side thereof, of a crane pivotally mounted on the interior of said car adjacent to said openin an automatically operated mail bag recepetacle pivotally carried at the outer terminal of said crane, and means mounted onto the side of said car over said crane whereby mail bags may be received.

13. The combination with a car having an opening in one side thereof,of a crane pivotally mounted on the interior of sadi car adjacent to said opening, an automatically operated mail bag receptacle pivotally carried at the outer terminal of said crane, means mounted on the side of said car over said crane whereby mail bags may be received, and means whereby said crane and last named means may automatically be swung inwardly.

14. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, of a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent to said opening, a crane adjustably carried by said shaft, an automatically tilting trough pivotally car ried by the outer end of said crane, a shelf pivotally mounted to the side of said crane over said crane, and means whereby said shelf may automatically be swung inwardly.

15. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, of a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent to said opening, a crane adjustably carried by said shaft, an automatically tilting trough pivotally carried by the outer end of said crane, a shelf pivotally mounted to the side of said crane over said crane, and a weight carried on the interior of said car adapted to automatically swing said crane and shelf inwardly.

16. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, of a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent to said opening, a crane adjustably carried by said shaft, an

automatically tilting trough pivotally carried by the outer end of said crane, a shelf pivotally mounted to the side of said crane over said crane, a pulley rigidly mounted on the upper terminal of said shaft, a flex ble member secured to said pulley, and a weight secured to said flexible member adapted to automatically swing said crane inwardly.

17. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, of a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent to said opening, a crane adjust-ably carried by said shaft, an automatically tilting trough pivotally carried by the outer end of said crane, a shelf pivotally mounted to the side of said car over said crane, a pulley rigidly mounted on the upper terminal of said shaft, a flexible member secured to said pulley, a weight secured to said flexible member adapted to automatically swing said crane inwardly, and means whereby said weight may also automatically swing said shelf inwardly.

18. In a mail delivering and receiving mechanism, the combination with a stationary shelf, of a pivotally mounted receptacle located above said shelf, a. shelf carried by the car adapted to cooperate with said pivotally mounted receptacle and automatically operating the same, and a pivotally mounted receptacle carried by said car adjacent to said shelf adapted to contact said stationary shelf and be operated thereby.

19. In combination wit-h a stationary support and a moving vehicle, of a rigid shelf carried by said stationary support, a pivotally mounted receptacle carried by said vehicle adapted to be operated by said shelf, a shelf carried by said vehicle adjacent to said receptacle, and a pivotally mounted receptacle carried by said stationary support adapted to cooperate with said last named shelf.

20, In combination with a stationary support and a moving vehicle, of a rigid shelf carried by said stationary support having the outer edge thereof curved, a pivotally mounted receptacle carried by said vehicle and adapted to cooperate with said curved edge of said shelf and to be tilted thereby, a shelf pivotally carried by said vehicle having its outer edge curved, and a pivotally mounted receptacle carried by said stationary support adapted to cooperate with the curved edge of the last named shelf and be tilted thereby.

21. In combination with a stationary support and a moving vehicle, of a rigid shelf carried by said stationary support having its outer edge curved, a pivotally mounted receptacle carried by said Vehicle, a downwardly extending projection carried by said receptacle adapted to contact said curved edge of said shelf and tilt said receptacle, a shelf pivotally mounted on said vehicle having its outer edge curved, a receptacle pivotally mounted on said stationary support, and a downwardly extending projection carried by said receptacle adapted to contact the curved edge of last named shelf and tilt said shelf.

22'. In combination with a stationary support and a moving vehicle, of a rigid shelf carried by said stationary support having its outer edge curved, a pivotally mounted receptacle carried by said vehicle, a downwardly extending projection carried by said receptacle adapted to contact said curved edge of said shelf and tilt said receptacle, a shelf pivotally mounted on said vehicle having its outer edge curved, a receptacle pivotally mounted to said stationary support, a downwardly extending projection carried by said receptacle adapted to contact the curved edge of last named shelf and tilt said shelf, and means whereby the shelf and crane carried by said vehicle may be automatically swung inwardly toward said vehicle.

23. A mail delivering and transferring mechanism, comprising a stationary apparatus, a moving apparatus adapted to be carried by a moving vehicle, means whereby said apparatus will simultaneously operate prising a plurality of pivotally mounted receptacles, means whereby said receptacles may be tilted, and means whereby said receptacles may gravitate to their operative positions to retain mail bags.

25. A mail transferring apparatus comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted receptacles, one of said receptacles being carried by a vehicle, means whereby said receptacles will normally gravitate to their operative positions, receiving mechanisms located adjacent to said receptacles and adapted to operate said receptacles simultaneously on contact thereof, and means whereby the moving receptacle and receiving mechanism may be automatically swung inwardly toward the car.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS R. COOK. Witnesses:

OPHELIA ROESSLER, OPAL MoOANoE. 

